Chocolate Raspberry Granola

This Chocolate Raspberry Granola tastes decadent but is nourishing and full of the superfood cacao.

This Chocolate Raspberry Granola is based on my Olive Oil Granola Recipe but with ingredients added. I have made both many times, testing them extensively. Cacao powder, cacao nibs, chopped dark chocolate, and dehydrated raspberries create a rich but nourishing recipe. I took my Mouthwatering Granola and turned it into a chocolate-focused granola that still packs a nutritional punch.

Reasons to Make this Chocolate Raspberry Granola

• Taste: The main reason to make this granola is the wonderful chocolate flavor from layers of chocolate ingredients. Unsweetened cacao powder forms the base(hence, slightly more sweetener in this recipe versus my other recipe). Additional flavor comes from dark chocolate chunks or chips and a smaller amount of cacao nibs. Leave the nibs out if you aren’t a fan, but they add a nice crunch and flavor. The dehydrated raspberries add a wonderful tang to the granola.
• Nutrition: This granola contains a significant percentage of the RDA for fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. I’ve portioned it at 1/2 cup for breakfast, but try a smaller amount as a snack on its own.
• The above reasons sum up why to make this granola, to enjoy the wonderful flavors as a departure from your everyday granola! Get some solid nutrition from this recipe instead of eating empty calories for a treat. It makes a great gift as well. See below for ways to adjust the nutrition and flavors.

How this Granola is Sweetened:

• I’ve tested this recipe multiple times to arrive at the amount of sweetener needed to balance the unsweetened cacao/cocoa powder while not creating an overly sweet granola.
• 3 Tbsp. of Maple Syrup with fewer carbs/sugar than honey, it also has a lower glycemic index.
• 3 Tblsp. of Brown Sugar: undeniably needed for the caramelization that creates the crunch.
• 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil can withstand the heat of baking and is a heart-healthy superfood!

Flexible Ingredients, try these Substitutions/Additions:

• Cacao versus cocoa powder: Cocoa powder or the recommended cacao powder can be used interchangeably in this recipe. I use cacao for its extra benefits but have used both and honestly feel the taste is very similar.
• Nuts: I’ve used walnuts here but I’ve also made the recipe with almonds chopped as well. Any nut can be substituted.
• Pumpkin seeds: You could use sunflower seeds but I don’t recommend substituting smaller seeds such as sesame, chia, or flax as I find they get stuck in your teeth!
• Additional fruit: Make this recipe extra special by adding 1/3 cup unsweetened dried cherries or dried cranberries. I often do.
• Chocolate: chips or cut-up chocolate chunks will each work perfectly. I chose dark chocolate but you can certainly use semi-sweet chocolate chips as well.
• Cacao nibs: These are a really fun addition, as they are crunchy and have an interesting chocolate-like flavor. But some may find them bitter or unpleasant, so I recommend leaving them out if you aren’t sure.
• Coconut flakes: The large unsweetened coconut flakes add a wonderful texture, crunch, and flavor. You can leave them out if you aren’t a fan, or to reduce the calories (coconut is high in saturated fat).
• Amount of chocolate: This is a very cocoa-forward recipe but if you want to reap the benefits of cocoa and enjoy the taste but lessen the fat and sweetener, you can reduce the cacao/cocoa to 2 tablespoons. If you do, reduce the brown sugar and maple syrup to 2 tablespoons and the olive oil to 3 tablespoons. With less cacao/cocoa the granola requires less sweetener/oil.

How to make this granola:

• Wet ingredients: Heat the brown sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil in a small pan over medium heat and whisk together until the brown sugar is melted. Turn off the heat.
• Dry ingredients: Place the oats, nuts, seeds and coconut in a bowl and thoroughly toss to mix evenly.
• Mix: Drizzle the wet mixture over the dry ingredients slowly with one hand, and mix in continuously with the other hand using a silicone spatula to evenly distribute and coat all the oats and mix-ins.
• Add the cacao powder: Sprinkle half the cacao over the mixture and toss to distribute, then add the other half to distribute. This makes for a very even distribution and a lovely-looking granola.
• Additional mix-ins: Remove the baked granola from the oven, sprinkle over 1/2 of the chocolate chunks/chips and gently toss it in. This chocolate will melt and form some nice chocolatey chunks of granola. Wait until the granola is completely cool before adding in the dehydrated raspberries, cacao nibs, rest of the chips/chunks, and any additional dried fruit.
• Store the mixture: It’s not an easy task to move this big tray of granola into a container! Pick up the sides of the parchment paper and pull them together to form a type of funnel/cylinder shape that will allow you to pour the granola into a container, or a zip-lock storage bag.